The Beatles – Yesterday – Chorus
Yesterday < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Em7’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Em7’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm’, ‘C’, ‘F’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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Em7 (‘VI min7’), A7 (‘II dom7’), Dm (‘VI min’), Dm/C (‘VI min/C’),
Bb (‘IV maj’), Gm (‘II min’), C (‘V maj’), F (‘I maj’),
Em7 (‘VI min7’), A7 (‘II dom7’), Dm (‘VI min’), Dm/C (‘VI min/C’),
Bb (‘IV maj’), Gm (‘II min’), C (‘V maj’), F (‘I maj’)
“`
In this progression, A7 and Dm/C are the borrowed chords. The A7 acts as a secondary dominant, which leads to Dm and provides an interesting shift in the tonal center, creating a sense of tension and release. The Dm/C is borrowed from F Lydian mode, creating a smooth bass descent.
Similar Chord Progressions
-“Someone Like You” by Adele:
[‘Dmaj’, ‘Bmin’, ‘F#min’, ‘Dmaj’, ‘Gmaj’, ‘Dmaj’, ‘Gmaj’, ‘Dmaj’]
-“Hotel California” by The Eagles:
[‘Bmin’, ‘F#’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘F#’]
Both of these songs also use a VI min chord and creating a similar sense of falling motion within the chord progression. Additionally, both songs also make use of a IV maj chord in a similar context to create a sense of resolution.
Musical Analysis
The progression begins and ends on the tonality of the song, F major, with a winding chromatic sequence in between that creates tension and release. The use of the borrowed chords A7 and Dm/C provides an unexpected shift in tonality, giving an element of surprise, and the shift from Dm to Bb and then to Gm creates a rich, mournful sound.
Overall Analysis
The song “Yesterday” by The Beatles is in the key of F major and spans chord I to VI. It is characterized by a deeply expressive melody and distinctive harmony. The chord progression seems simple, yet it makes full use of secondary dominants, borrowed chords, and subtly shifting tonal centers for narrative, which is a trademark of The Beatles’s songwriting style.
Style Analysis
The Beatles often made use of modal interchange and secondary dominants to add interest and depth to their chord progressions, and this song is no exception. The melody relies heavily on the notes of the underlying chords, giving the song a strong sense of harmonic progression.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – Yesterday – Chorus?
[‘Em7’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Em7’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm’, ‘C’, ‘F’]
